well as tumoural cells although frequently in an abnormal way (different level, loss of negative feed-back, unusual molecular form, etc.). Many hormones or metabolites can be assayed in serum or plasma. Most assays are now modern immunoassays, mass

enables simultaneous determination of multiple steroids at very low concentrations in a single analytical run. Although many papers have been published on LC–MS/MS assays that measure one or a few steroid hormones, only few papers have reported methods

assessment is not sensitive enough to identify subtle over- and under-treatment. Assay of the intermediates 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) and androstenedione is often used, but results are often difficult to interpret as cross-reactivity between steroids

membrane assay serves as a short-term in vivo model, which can be easily used prior to costly, time-consuming and elaborate mouse models. The avian chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay has been utilised as a cancer model system for more than a century ( 3

studies have shown increased success rate when the sampling procedure was guided by intra-procedural rapid assay measurements of cortisol (17, 18, 19, 20) . A retrospective study has showed that diagnostic centers that introduced such measurements when

Xinlei Chen, Liru Hu, Caojie Liu, Guangcheng Ni and Yuwei Zhang

postoperative surgical complications occurred, patients would be sent to intensive care unit (ICU) for further arrangement. All notes from PACU and ICU were collected. Postoperative blood pressure, hormonal assays, recovering time and postoperative

after a double centrifugation procedure (2000 g
for 10 min then 3900 g
for 10 min). Coagulation assays were performed on a BCS-XP (Siemens) automate, using Pathromtin SL (Siemens) for the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and Innovin

.
Hormonal analysis
All serum samples were stored at −80°C until analysed for GH, cortisol and PRL at the Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Clinical Centre of Serbia. GH was measured by immunoradiometric assay HGH-RIA CT Cisbio

, more than 160 other pathological variants of CYP21A2 have been reported ( www.cypalleles.ki.se/cyp21.htm ). In the present study, we used a new in vitro assay of 21OH enzyme activity and molecular computer modelling to predict the phenotypes of